Learning Cultures Could Help Tourism

April 5, 1993|By SUSAN G. STROTHER, The Orlando Sentinel

Walt Disney World`s Dolphin hotel wants its Japanese guests to feel at home. So much so, the hotel offers a traditional Japanese breakfast of grilled salmon and miso soup, a Japanese-language newspaper and pay-per-view cable channel.

Instead of coffee, rooms with Japanese guests have green tea; instead of chips and dip, room service sends up snacks of dried cuttlefish, or squid; and instead of a mint, the nightly turn-down service includes a robe and slippers.

``We found there are just a lot of ways that Japanese guests expect to be treated,`` said Bob Mervine, the hotel`s spokesman. ``It`s a lucrative and steady business for us.``

Central Florida tourism officials say the Dolphin has recognized what some in the industry fail to grasp: International tourists often require special attention, and smiles alone do not always transcend cultural differences.

More than 2.2 million globe-trotting tourists will visit Orlando this year, representing nearly 17 percent of the overall tourist population. The region spends millions of dollars annually to attract international guests.

Sometimes, businesses take extra steps to accommodate international visitors once they are here. It is not unusual to find translated show schedules at theme parks or bilingual employees at restaurants and clothing stores.

But for having so large an international contingent, Central Florida falls short on several fronts, experts said.

There are relatively few foreign-language road signs or multilingual menus, rental-car agreements or safety brochures. And there often is limited awareness of cultural differences involving tipping, smoking and even body language.

``I don`t think we`ve done as good a job as we could in making the international visitor feel comfortable,`` said Cheryl Taubensee, executive director of the Central Florida Hotel and Motel Association. ``... We want to make our guests feel comfortable, but in many instances, our employees are not trained sufficiently to understand cultural differences.``

Even for those who share a common language, American customs and culture are still foreign.

``We`ve had quite a bit of difficulty getting around,`` said Brian Gardner, 20, visiting Orlando from England. His rental car came with no map or manual and no reminder to drive on the right rather than the left, as the British do. He also mistook the emergency brake for the clutch.

``It took us ages to figure everything out,`` he said. As the tourism industry prepares for the peak summer travel season, some officials think it could be more important than ever to make international guests comfortable.

Many key European markets from which Orlando draws visitors are in a recession. As well, the rising value of the U.S. dollar threatens to decrease European travel by making Orlando a less-affordable destination.

Destinations that make guests the most comfortable are likely to be the ones to receive what may be a limited amount of new business.

``What it means for us is that the United States is going to be, as a whole, a less attractive destination for international tourists,`` said Ady Milman, director of the Dick Pope Institute for Tourism Studies at the University of Central Florida.

``The cost of travel, in terms of accommodations, food and services, is very, very important for international guests.``

Tourism-industry employees are practiced at being helpful and pleasant, most officials agree. Yet those traits may mean little if the employees know little about the customs in different countries.

Employees at a hotel concierge desk, for instance, may be put off by a South American visitor who gets close to them when speaking. The employee may back up - only to be met by the guest moving forward.

The two cultures view personal space differently. The exchange could result in bad feelings.

``Clearly, we want everybody to leave here with a good feeling,`` said Bill Peeper, executive director of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc. ``The more we can be sensitive to cultural differences and assist folks with language issues, the better it is for all of us.``